Easily kick off a new campaign in 2023. Grab a copy of Vaesen and Mythic Britain & Ireland, have your players create characters from thirteen archetypes, introduce them to mythic Britain and Ireland, and run them through three included mysteries before moving on to creating your own.
Players characters, in the nineteenth century of northern Europe, see things other people do not. Strange beings. Twisted creatures. Watching. Waiting. Inflicting horror and terror on those that cannot see them. Vaesen takes the Year Zero Engine and couples it with northern European myth and investigating mysteries. This RPG consists of a hardcover core rulebook for under $50 that is has a sewn binding (no cheap glue) and even has a color ribbon. Consistent art throughout the line (not just the core rulebook) evokes a modern world (for the times) juxtaposed against the ancient and supernatural. Stunning presentation. My thanks to Free League for providing me a review copy of Mythic Britain & Ireland.
Vaesen uses a d6 dice pool. PCs need one 6 to succeed and can try again but risk getting a debilitating condition
Vaesen is guided by six principles. Vaesen (the supernatural creatures) are neither good nor evil but have unique motivations, nature is dark and dangerous , Scandinavia and by extension the rest of northern Europe is changing because of industrialization, knowledge and cunning lead to success, the journey is part of the goal, and the PCs will not survive without each other. Combined, this rule system and six principles sets up a new campaign for exciting game play and ongoing successful adventures.
Kick off your new campaign this way. Have your players make PCs in six steps, including determining attributes and skill points. They can play archetypes like hunter, occultist, and private detective. Each PC will have a motivation, trauma, dark secret, and relationship to the other PCs.
Armed with this information, the GM can set a new campaign in the rural west of England. Old Meg is a mystery involving a powerful hag. This mystery can easily lead to another included mystery set in London or one set in Wales. And the campaign can evolve from there.
Solving mysteries is what the PCs do. They have to gather Clues to find the Vaesen behind the mystery as well as ways to defeat the Vaesen when confronted. In between mysteries, the PCs can build their headquarters. The PCs’ headquarters can provide healing, gear, and training in between solving mysteries.
Another interesting twist is that critical injuries can lead to either Defects or Insights. Defects are injuries to the body that just won’t heal. But Insights are unlocked supernatural powers to improve a skill, have a vision, share your sight of Vaesen to others, or know what someone else is thinking.
As PCs solve mysteries, they will not only improve their own skills but they also will be marked by Defects and empowered by Insights. They will also be able to use their headquarters to heal, get gear, and prepare for future mysteries to come.
Britain and Ireland are exciting places for PCs to investigate mysteries. Unique Vaesen include banshees, boggarts, hags, leprechauns, redcaps, selkies, and more. PCs can travel between the rural hinterlands and urban London, solving mysteries and building their headquarters.
The GM is provided with details on creating mysteries and running Vaesen. A template of eight steps is provided as a launching point for GMs writing and running their own mysteries. Coupled with the many Vaesen provided as challenges, a GM will be able to run many mysteries for their players.
Vaesen is full of mystery and adventure. The PCs are also linked in their mutual building of a headquarters. Whether set in the Nordic north or Britain, GMs and players alike will enjoy the challenge of solving mysteries and overcoming Vaesen while building an enduring headquarters. If you’re looking for a new campaign that isn’t too hard to learn but offers much adventure and mystery, Vaesen may just be what you’ve been looking for.
Players characters, in the nineteenth century of northern Europe, see things other people do not. Strange beings. Twisted creatures. Watching. Waiting. Inflicting horror and terror on those that cannot see them. Vaesen takes the Year Zero Engine and couples it with northern European myth and investigating mysteries. This RPG consists of a hardcover core rulebook for under $50 that is has a sewn binding (no cheap glue) and even has a color ribbon. Consistent art throughout the line (not just the core rulebook) evokes a modern world (for the times) juxtaposed against the ancient and supernatural. Stunning presentation. My thanks to Free League for providing me a review copy of Mythic Britain & Ireland.
Vaesen uses a d6 dice pool. PCs need one 6 to succeed and can try again but risk getting a debilitating condition
Vaesen is guided by six principles. Vaesen (the supernatural creatures) are neither good nor evil but have unique motivations, nature is dark and dangerous , Scandinavia and by extension the rest of northern Europe is changing because of industrialization, knowledge and cunning lead to success, the journey is part of the goal, and the PCs will not survive without each other. Combined, this rule system and six principles sets up a new campaign for exciting game play and ongoing successful adventures.
Kick off your new campaign this way. Have your players make PCs in six steps, including determining attributes and skill points. They can play archetypes like hunter, occultist, and private detective. Each PC will have a motivation, trauma, dark secret, and relationship to the other PCs.
Armed with this information, the GM can set a new campaign in the rural west of England. Old Meg is a mystery involving a powerful hag. This mystery can easily lead to another included mystery set in London or one set in Wales. And the campaign can evolve from there.
Solving mysteries is what the PCs do. They have to gather Clues to find the Vaesen behind the mystery as well as ways to defeat the Vaesen when confronted. In between mysteries, the PCs can build their headquarters. The PCs’ headquarters can provide healing, gear, and training in between solving mysteries.
Another interesting twist is that critical injuries can lead to either Defects or Insights. Defects are injuries to the body that just won’t heal. But Insights are unlocked supernatural powers to improve a skill, have a vision, share your sight of Vaesen to others, or know what someone else is thinking.
As PCs solve mysteries, they will not only improve their own skills but they also will be marked by Defects and empowered by Insights. They will also be able to use their headquarters to heal, get gear, and prepare for future mysteries to come.
Britain and Ireland are exciting places for PCs to investigate mysteries. Unique Vaesen include banshees, boggarts, hags, leprechauns, redcaps, selkies, and more. PCs can travel between the rural hinterlands and urban London, solving mysteries and building their headquarters.
The GM is provided with details on creating mysteries and running Vaesen. A template of eight steps is provided as a launching point for GMs writing and running their own mysteries. Coupled with the many Vaesen provided as challenges, a GM will be able to run many mysteries for their players.
Vaesen is full of mystery and adventure. The PCs are also linked in their mutual building of a headquarters. Whether set in the Nordic north or Britain, GMs and players alike will enjoy the challenge of solving mysteries and overcoming Vaesen while building an enduring headquarters. If you’re looking for a new campaign that isn’t too hard to learn but offers much adventure and mystery, Vaesen may just be what you’ve been looking for.
